Final Fantasy VII-"Fighters in a Broken World"
by enobmort X14
Summary: The first chapter in the continuation of the epic struggle for good and evil in the world of Final Fantasy VII.
1. Promisies Long Thought Forgotten

Final Fantasy VII -'Fighters in a Broken World"  
  
1 Foreword  
  
After the destruction of Sephiroth's angelic avatar at the Northern Crater, the entire Planet was cloaked in a blanket of mystery and unknowing. With the Shinra Corporation gone, people started to govern themselves. Even the citizens of the metropolis, Midgar, began to rebuild their homes. . Everything slowly started to return to normal. With the balance of the Lifestream and the protection of Holy, the Planet attained a peace never before known. But with this peace came uncertainty, an the chance that something could rise from the evil of Sephiroth's ashes and threaten the world once again.  
  
1.1 Chapter 1 "Promises Long Thought Forgotten"  
  
Despite the recent bad weather, Cloud remained somewhat cheerful on his way back to his small home in the town of Nibelheim. Cloud had never thought he would return to the town he once deemed as a forsaken heap of ash. The town had burned down seven years ago but was rebuilt by the Shinra Corporation as an experiment. After the planet was saved from Meteor, Cloud had decided to find the members of the town and inquire about them resettling the town. Many people were obliged to returned to the town they thought was gone forever.  
  
Carrying a small handful of wood for his fireplace, Cloud proceeded to his house in the northern part of the village. As he approached he recognized the scent of freshly baked bread. Cloud was reminded of how hungry he was as he opened the door where the scent became even stronger. As he lay the wood down and shut the door he went to greet his wife, Tifa.  
  
The couple had been married four months now. Following their adventure two years ago Cloud and Tifa, childhood friends of long ago decided that they were to be each other's soul mate. The two had decided to get married young for one reason or another. The last few months were nothing but joy and happiness for the couple, with the exception of a small quarrel that broke out into a large argument that landed Cloud at the neighbor's house for a week. Other than that, everything was seemingly perfect.  
  
"Cloud!" Tifa exclaimed as her husband entered the kitchen, "I'm so glad your home." She smiled and embraced her husband, first in a hug, then in a long kiss.  
  
"Good to see you too," Cloud said to Tifa with slight grin. Cloud picked up a piece of recently chopped wood from the pile and set it in the fireplace. As he lit a match he was reminded of how he was rejecting the former Shinra ways. Using conventional methods instead of the Mako that used to power everyone's home. Mako, the very essence of his being, well almost. There was another inside of him Cloud seldomly embraced. As much as he wishes it weren't so, the essence of Jenova, mother Sephiroth purged though his veins. The strength that had come from Cloud to defeat Sephiroth was also the very fabric of his being as well. The cells of Jenova, injected into Cloud when he was 16, bestow upon him exceptional abilities and traits.  
  
As the fire burned Cloud turned his attention to the table, which he helped his wife set for their meal. But just as Cloud was about to sit down, a knock at his door made him get up to answer. He opened the door to reveal a short man with thin rimmed glasses carrying a suitcase of some kind.  
  
"Can I help you?" Cloud asked the stranger. Noticing the impending rain Cloud motioned for the man to come inside, which he did.  
  
"Hello good sir," the man started, "My name is Tamus Burgan, but you can just call me Tamus. I have here a letter for you from an old friend." The short man searched his suitcase frantically looking for something.  
  
"What old friend?" Cloud asked as Tamus continued searching.  
  
"Ahh!" Tamus exclaimed, "Here it is, to Cloud Strife." Tamus pulled a letter from the amass of the others and handed it to Cloud, who simply stared at the it.  
  
"Go on sir, open it," said Tamus. Cloud tore open the letter, which was bound by a wax seal. He quickly unfolded the letter and read it then hastily put it down and stood up abruptly. By now Tifa had been watching for some time and she approached her husband.  
  
"What is it Cloud," she asked. As Cloud turned to face her he shook his head as if in shame.  
  
"I must leave. It appears I owe an old friend one last favor." Cloud then hastily retreated to his room and for a moment a shuffling sound could be heard in the back room. Cloud then emerged and swiftly hurried out the door. A sparkle of light from the fire reflected from the object on his back. Gasping in awe of her husband's sudden disappearance, Tifa retrieved the letter and read it herself.  
  
"What is this all about ma'am?" Tamus Burgan asked. But Tifa, like Cloud, refused to answer and took off after her husband. Tamus then picked up the letter and read it. It seemed to him that the letter meant nothing more than a call from a friend. A friend who simply signed the letter with one name, 'Aeris.' 


	2. Trying to Find an Old Friend

Chapter 2 "Trying to Find an Old Friend"  
  
After about a day of traveling on foot, Cloud and Tifa were nearing Rocket Town. The two needed rest so they decided to set up a camp in the most flat part of the plains they could find. After building a crude lean- to and setting up a small fire, Cloud decided to practice with his sword.  
  
Cloud was an expert with his weapon, the Buster Sword. As he slashed the sword about in the air, the faint bursting sound of the air being displaced was heard. Cloud never lost any grace as he attacked phantom targets. He was as steady as a weighing balance, never tilting too far in one direction or another, always careful to keep his eyes scanning for possible openings.  
  
As he put his weapon down, Cloud saw his wife sitting next to the fire. She appeared cold. Cloud sat down next to Tifa and put his arm around her.  
  
"I don't understand what is going on," Tifa said. This strangely reminded Cloud of the beginning of their adventure two years ago. How nothing seemed entirely clear until the very end.  
  
"That's what we will find out. As soon as we get to Rocket Town we can get a ride to Midgar and find out about what's really going on." Cloud said in calm, relaxing voice to his wife.  
  
"Do you think Cid will be there?" Tifa asked.  
  
Cid. The mechanic, pilot, and shipbuilder never failed to stick by Cloud during the times of need those years ago. Cloud actually hoped the grumpy old man would be there. It would be good to see an old friend, he thought.  
  
"Perhaps, we could use some help in shedding some light on this mystery hmm?" But Tifa was unable to hear Cloud now, for she was fast asleep, his shoulder acting as her pillow.  
  
"Goodnight Tifa."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
As Cloud ran down the steep hill, he breathed in the fresh mountain air, which made him feel happy to be alive. As Cloud reached the bottom of one of the small hills along the Nibel Mountains he thought he heard something, a voice.  
  
"So, reverting to the old days."  
  
Cloud seemed afraid but cried out in response, "Who's there?"  
  
"Once again you fail to foresee what may be the end of you, how foolish."  
  
A bright white light suddenly flashed, and Cloud looked up into a blackened sky, dimly lit by the sun.  
  
"What is this?" Cloud asked.  
  
"Whatever you want it to be. Be it happy . or sad."  
  
"Who are you?" Cloud questioned again.  
  
"Do you think that Aeris is really alive Cloud?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Be mindful of the things to come Cloud."  
  
"Okay," said Cloud, not ever quite sure what the voice was talking about.  
  
* * *  
  
Cloud awoke to a harsh scream, barely identifiable as Tifa's voice. He grabbed his sword and ran to see what was wrong. When he arrived beside his wife's side he found; she was being surrounded by wolves. The wolves were bearing their sharp teeth, and they looked like they would pounce at any given moment. This prompted Cloud to act quickly.  
  
Without so much as a thought, Cloud rushed at one of the wolves, armed with his sword and skills. The first fell quickly, probably not even feeling the blade slice through its midsection with extreme accuracy. The others were not so lucky. One of the wolves pounced at Cloud, but was quickly deflected away as Cloud raised his sword to a blocking position.  
  
Now that Tifa was free from being encircled by the wolves, she had joined in the fight as well, using her martial arts skills to fend her bloodthirsty adversaries. She kicked one in the torso, causing it to fly backwards and roll for ten feet until it stopped. Another had raced at her, but she was ready as kneeled down and swiped her leg across the running wolf's feet. This caused the wolf to trip and lose balance and also run into another wolf not too far away.  
  
Meanwhile, Cloud was doing well on his own. He had already killed four of the beasts, and was now preparing to slice up the fifth. Before he could, another wolf came up and bit him in the leg. Cloud gritted his teeth at the pain and continued his attack, which only scraped a portion of skin off the wolf. As he was about to finish off his fifth opponent, another beast came rushing up behind him. This time Cloud was on guard and quickly slashed his sword in the wolf's direction, cutting it cleanly in two pieces.  
  
No more wolves were to be seen. Cloud ran around for a minute searching for Tifa, until he found here fighting two wolves. Tifa had cuts all over but what troubled Cloud most was a large gash in her forehead. He was not about to have his wife taken by infernal beasts of the plains. Cloud drew his Buster Sword and rained down upon the wolves without warning. The first one died instantly as the large sword shattered its spine. The second was quickly dispatched as well. Cloud then turned to his wife and began to tend to her wounds. Not having any bandages or other medical tools, Cloud sheathed his sword and a yellow aura grew around him. As he pressed his hands together, the aura left him and appeared near his hands in the form of little green sparkles. The sparkles then left his hands and fluttered over Tifa, who instantly looked better.  
  
"Thank the blessed heavens for the ancients." Cloud said in a prayer. 


End file.
